Cloth That Changed The World The Art And Fashion Of Indian Chintz

Exhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, 12 September 2020 - 2 January 2022

Chintz, a type of multicoloured printed or painted cotton cloth, originated in India, was a driving force of the spice trade in the East Indies, and it attracted European merchants, who by the 17th century were importing millions of pieces.

Based on the renowned Indian chintz collections held at the Royal Ontario Museum, this exhibition catalogue showcases the genius of Indian chintz makers and the dazzling variety of works they have created for specialized markets: religious and court banners for India, monumental gilded wall hangings for elite homes in Europe and Thailand, luxury women's dress for England, sacred hangings for ancestral ceremonies in Indonesia, and today's runways of Lakme Fashion Week in Mumbai.